The Rule of Thumb
The Rule of Thumb is a heavily-modified pirate warship and the personal flagship of Captain Greatgullet. A TFS 773 Onslaught-Class Heavy Troop Transport, the Rule ''served as one of the primary flagships for the Freebooter Fleet, its captain seated firmly at Nehel Morel's side on the Council of Captains. ''The Rule of Thumb ''plays a supporting role in ''Galactic Menace, participating in nearly each and every sack of the ten ports along the Valladian Shipping Line. Characteristics The 773 Onslaught-Class was originally commissioned by The Endless Imperium from Terro Fleet Systems as a troop transport, meant to deploy hundreds of soldiers into heavy warzones or onto enemy warships without risk of preemptively loosing the carrier and all the marines aboard. As such, The Rule of Thumb is tough, dependable and well-armed, more than a match for most civilian merchanters. The Rule's ''primary feature are its broadside shields – circular plates of re-enforced teltriton designed to protect its suite of laser turrets and combat airlocks from reprising fire. Normally unadorned, Greatgullet painted the faces of various of his more terrifying raiders onto the shields, presenting a host of visages to frighten his targets with. While she required a crew of fifteen to run optimally, ''The Rule of Thumb could carry almost ten times that many crewmen – most of them boarders. Not the most maneuverable of craft, this was Greatgullet's primary strategy – to board an enemy vessel as quickly as possible and incapacitate their crew in hand-to-hand combat. History Early Years (5780 – 5794) Greatgullet first encountered The Rule of Thumb ''serving as a boatswain aboard another pirate vessel, ''The Happy Accident, when his crew went scavenging for post-war salvage on Nos Mantri, shortly following the Imperium's campaign there. On the planet, the Obax uncovered the wreck of a Onslaught-Class Heavy Troop Transport that would eventually become The Rule of Thumb. In 5783, once the crew of The Happy Accident ''had disbanded, he and a small handful of followers returned to the planet and recovered the 773, retrofitting the craft into the deadly ''Rule of Thumb in a chopshop on Umij. For years, The Rule of Thumb ''prowled the spacelanes, preying on unsuspecting merchants and even amateur pirates alike. One of Greatgullet's favorite tactics was to "strap on the Belt" – lurk around the Veraspo Belt and prey on the bush-league pirates, rather than the fat merchants moving through the area.''Galactic Menace, Chapter 8 It was here, in the Veraspo Belt in 5794, that Captain Greatgullet was contacted by Captain Nemo of The Unconstant Lover. Galactic Menace ''(5794 – 5795) As a member of the Freebooter Fleet, ''The Rule of Thumb ''participated in the vast majority of the Valladian Shipping Line's plundering. She was present at the attack on Kiesha Shipyards''Galactic Menace, Chapter 11, the GalaxGas Refinery Complex on OhostoiGalactic Menace, Chapter 13, the Adrogi Wet MarketGalactic Menace, Chapter 17 and the Qabb ClusterGalactic Menace, Chapter 20. In Pirateton, the Rule ''formed the basis for one of the impromptu port's various districts, all the starships loyal to Greatgullet touching down all around his own.''Galactic Menace, Chapter 18 Though it saw no action at either port, The Rule of Thumb ''was present at both Ikorial Federate Station''Galactic Menace, Chapter 22 and Yime OrbitalGalactic Menace, Chapter 24. Though Greatgullet voted against the action''Galactic Menace'', Chapter 26, The Rule of Thumb ''also participated in the failed attack on the Supreme Sovereignty of Trija. Holding out as long as she could, Greatgullet ultimately warped away in the middle of the naval action, leaving the remainder of the Fleet to fend for itself.''Galactic Menace, Chapter 28 After fleeing Trijan airspace, the fate of ''The Rule of Thumb ''remains unknown. References